WR Council tables roundabout, initiatives citizen blight taskforce

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — During the pre-council and regular meeting, Warner Robins Mayor and Council discussed the potential construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Osigian Boulevard and Margie Drive, as well as the implementation of a “blight taskforce” that would help the city tackle what many consider to be a growing issue.

At the top of their pre-council meeting, Councilman Clifford Holmes initiated conversation on the roundabout. Several of the councilmen brought concerns to the table.

“I don’t know how many people you all talked to, or talked to you, but I’ve had quite a few,” Holmes said. “I couldn’t hardly get a haircut Saturday, everybody wanted to talk to me.”

Much of the concern stems from a lack of prior discussion — according to Councilman Kevin Lashley, members of council have not yet seen the designs for the roundabout, the size of it, or how many lanes of traffic it will be designed to withstand.

There’s also the issue of cost, not only from the project itself, but also the cost of failure; if mayor and council elect to put in a form of traffic management that builds up traffic rather than assisting it’s flow, than the result could harm businesses and further development in the area.

The project came to council as an intergovernmental agreement with the Houston County Commissioners. Managing traffic in that area is part of the city’s 2018 SPLOST. The financial burden of the project would be shared by the two governments.

Councilman Larry Curtis and Holmes both spoke about the potential of a redlight in the area rather than a roundabout, seeking to have a study done to identify the best course of action.

When the item came to council during their regular meeting, Councilman Holmes motioned to table the item until further information was provided to Council on the topic. The motion was seconded, and approved unanimously.

Councilman Lashley explained council’s decision.

“The decision was made this time that we want to hold off on passing any kind of ordinance or any kind of IGA with the county on the roundabout at Osigian and Margie Drive, simply so we can get more input as to what the parameters of the design are going to be, how it’s actually going to look,” Lashley said.

Lashley explained that for the roundabout to work properly, it has to be the right size to accommodate current and growing traffic, as the area is flanked by a school, several businesses, and spaces available for expanding development. The councilman said that he hopes to see this topic return to their agenda within the next month.

Council has also recently discussed tackling blight within the city, with Councilmen Derek Mack, Holmes and Curtis all voicing concerns of higher crime rates and potential economic growth. Council approved the creation of a “blight taskforce” Monday night.

The taskforce would be made up of a group of concerned citizens. According to Mayor LaRhonda Patrick, the taskforce requires less formality in comparison to a committee, and can therefore find a quicker result.

“The duties of the taskforce will be to identify areas in our city that are blight,” Patrick explained. “It’s often that the people who live in their communities, their neighborhoods, they know where the blighted areas are.

“The most important part is having people who can identify areas where there are blighted properties, so that our internal team can work the process, going through code enforcement and the legal system, to get those blighted areas resolved.”

Once blight is identified, an internal team will work to have the property either demolished or cleaned up. This process will include not only blighted homes, but also businesses that dot the Warner Robins area. The highest area of concern fall within the oldest parts of the city, the areas that are closest to Robins Air Force Base.

The agenda and supporting documents for this meeting can be found at the city’s website, or by going to wrga.gov/agendacenter. Mayor and council’s meeting are typically scheduled on the first and third Monday of each month, exclusive of federally practiced holidays.

The next meeting will be held on Monday, March 20. Pre-council will begin at 4:30 p.m. in the Carolyn Robbins Room at City Hall. The regular council meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers of the same building.

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